Read My Mind
by HgBookworm
Summary: Hermione escaped from the hold of the Dark Side after being held captive for years, only to find herself in the territory of another supposed enemy. While enemies grow to become friends, will these friends soon find themselves needing more?
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the Harry Potter characters, nor any of the lyrics to "Read My Mind" as I am not part of The Killers. I own nothing, I have nothing, and I promise I will never ever be lucky enough to have anything as wonderful as the Harry Potter books to my name.

I orginally wrote this fic as part of a Fic Exchange and decided to continue the story, because many of my readers thought it would be a good prequel to a longer story. I'm not sure how often I'll be updating, since I'm in college, but I hope to update often. I'd also like to recognize my original beta, **Crookshanks.x**, for helping me out with this portion of the story and my new beta, **Hearts in Strangeness**, for agree to help me, starting with Chapter 1. I couldn't do it without them!

I love feedback and encourage everyone to review and leave your comments. I hope you enjoy it!

*****

**Read My Mind**

_She hated being in that room. All alone, they would chain her to a single pole in the middle of the vast emptiness. As a group, they'd form a mob, surround her, and choke off her air…_

_They made a game of it. Whoever could make her scream the loudest would win, but the game never ended there. It was a constant competition to see who put in the most force, which could make her bite down on her tongue in anguish, which could literally tear her insides apart. _

_It was never over soon enough, there was always someone else. Someone who wanted another go. Someone more to loathe. _

_And when it finally was over, she'd lay on the floor, curled up, tight in a ball, knowing that wherever they touched her now ached with such intensity… She hated knowing that they had a strong hold on her feelings and her pain. It scared her that she didn't know when they would come back or if they would stay away for days at a time. _

_She just wanted to have a space to call her own, to wash up in, to leave it all behind her, to not be so alone…_

_But all she had was this lone room and her own silence…_

She woke up screaming again. It was never anything but bloodcurdling. If there were anyone living within three miles of them, they would have woken up cursing, questioning what kind of torture the screamer was undergoing. It was painful to hear- and even more so to watch. She would be lying there, perfectly motionless as she screamed, as if she had been stopped dead in her tracks by a basilisk, or even been body-bound in her sleep. Everything about it was awful.

He was careful not to touch her as she went through all this. Instead he whispered to her, saying she was here with him, and that he would protect her. He felt bad, knowing he couldn't fully hold up the latter of his promises, but no matter what it was, it always seemed to do the trick.

Her eyes flew open, staring straight ahead, as she tried to get a hold of her bearings. It was then that he would move into her line of sight. Hovering over her, he asked her if she was okay. She took a deep breath, blinking once, twice, before finally saying, "I—I think so." It was another moment before she grabbed him around the shoulders, pulling herself closer to his body. "All I want is to forget," she would mutter. "Nothing more. Just to forget."

They'd been through this routine every night for what seemed like years, but it had hardly even been three months. Whenever she got to this point, he would lose his cool. Normally, he'd lay her back down and tell her to go back to bed, and think about something else. That usually seemed to help her fall back to sleep, even if it was a fitful one. Tonight was different though. Tonight, he was tired. Tonight, he didn't want to act nice—he wanted her to see she wasn't the only one hurting. This was killing him. Not just her breaking down every night around 2 am, but her constant need to have someone around. He knew he couldn't protect her forever and she needed to know that too. So he let her have it.

"Just stop it already, Hermione!" Even he was surprised at his own tone. It sounded much harsher than he ever meant it to be, but it felt good to let go of this frustration. "How many times have I told you to just let it go already? You can't move on if you won't let go of the past. If you don't try to stop remembering, how can you try to start forgetting? You've told me a million times that you want to move past this, but it isn't going to happen unless you try to change it. Don't you dare say that it's too hard to forget, because you damn well know that it's easier than remembering. I don't know what you expect me to do—I'm not the one forcing you to remember what happened. It seems to me that you're the only one who wants you to remember. Unless you let it go, you won't ever stop remembering either. You hear me?"

She sat up slowly, staring at him. "Yeah." Walking into the bathroom, she said, "Loud and clear. I just wish you'd be able to read my mind again."

_On the corner of main street  
Just tryin' to keep it in line  
You say you wanna move on and  
You say I'm falling behind_

_Can you read my mind?  
Can you read my mind?_

_I never really gave up on  
Breakin' out of this two-star town  
I got the green light  
I got a little fight  
I'm gonna turn this thing around_

_Can you read my mind?  
Can you read my mind?_

Taking a deep breath, she turned on the shower, cursing herself for letting the memory sneak up on her like that. She hated knowing that even though they had all been killed in the war or were rotting away in the new fortress at Azkaban, those men could still control her mind. All she wanted was to forget and move on, but it wasn't that easy. Nothing was ever_that_ easy.

Stepping under the cool water, Hermione allowed herself to relax. She started with her toes, then continued to her legs, the muscles in her thighs, her lower back, and then slowly allowed her body to go limp. The last thing she ever allowed to relax, after her forehead, was her mind. She never knew if it would turn out to be a good decision or a bad one, but she took the chance.

First, she thought back to the good old days at Hogwarts. As a Gryffindor-- and as Harry and Ron's best female mate-- she had many an action-packed adventure- the troll and Fluffy, the Forbidden Forest and the search for Horcruxes. Many wonderful memories could be traced back to her days in the Golden Trio. But those were no more. She had not seen Harry or Ron in quite awhile. By now, it must have been at least a year, possibly even two or three.

At the thought of this time lapse, her mind flew to picture Draco. What an irony, she thought, that her once most rival enemy would become the one who would take her in after the war and help calm her fears at night.

She remembered that she found him and his little hut after she had escaped from her captor's fortress. She remembered feeling the security wards going down, which allowed her to break free. She ran for as long as she could and even then she kept moving. She only stopped when she stumbled upon a small village a few days later, it seemed. Although there was no one around and the buildings all looked like ancient ruins from a Roman war, she hid out for a few hours and managed to find a handful of stale breadcrumbs and a small overhang barely large enough for her to fit under in order to get a few hours of fitful rest. After that, she ran further until she found a small hut with a light on in the tiny window. Hesitantly, she watched until the sun had gone down and she felt it would be safe enough for her to creep up a little closer to further inspect the home. Then she could determine whether or not it would be safe to knock on the door.

She crept up a little closer and was terrified to see the door swing open. A cloaked figure raced towards her with a wand out in front of it, shouting, "What business do you have here?" She stood frozen in her place, unable to move, more because of the fear rising within her than the spell he placed upon her.

"I—I—." She stammered her words, not knowing what to say, but before she knew it, the truth was flying off her lips. "I'm running from the dark side, where I was being held captive. Please don't harm me; I only want to find somewhere safe. I don't know if they're following me, but I promise I'll leave at once."

He silenced her by lowering his wand and reaching out a hand to her.

"Come on. Let's get you inside before anything else happens. You're messing with my wards." He led her into the house and sat her down at the small table, then returned outside to fix the wards she had set off upon moving too close to the house.

She looked around slowly, taking in her new surroundings. The hut certainly seemed larger inside than it did when she had first approached it. The kitchen looked pretty modern, with a sink and stove, compared to the grassy walls and thatched roof she had seen outside. Seeing such modern appliances made her long for home and made her miss her wand even more.

When he came back in, he flipped his hood off, revealing his platinum blond hair. She knew at once who he was and hoped to death he wouldn't kill her, but would let her go free instead. Or on second thought, if he was going to put her through what she had gone through every night in that room, she hoped he would just get it over with and kill her straight away. But all he said was: "Running from the war too, Granger?"

He sat down, staring at her, so all she could do was nod her head. If only he knew what she had been through. Her mind couldn't even imagine how to put into words what had happened.

She didn't seem to catch on to the fact that he was running as well. After the manor had been surrounded, Draco dashed off, not wanting to be found by Potter and his despicable crew. Using an emergency portkey, set up just for this very reason, he was out of the manor and into the countryside hut in no time flat. Draco's followers, however, were not quite as lucky. He knew that many would be killed in the battles that would tear his beloved home to the ground and that many more would be imprisoned. He was glad to have gotten away, unscathed. He never wanted to be there in the first place.

By now, his father was probably rolling over in his grave. Draco was sure if his father came back as a ghost, he would find some way to kill his only son. While Draco hated Potter's guts, he didn't hate everyone who followed him. Sure Weasley was no better than a mudblood, but Granger, the true mudblood, seemed to be better than any pureblood he'd met, including himself.

So when Granger tripped back into his life, he vowed to help her, in order to prove to himself that he wasn't purely evil. Only his father and the damned Dark Lord himself were that awful.

Staying here tonight, he had a feeling that someone would be bound to stumble across his hut sooner or later. He had hoped it would not be someone wanting to kill him, but one could never be so sure.

So they sat in silence for awhile, each afraid of what the other might say. Hermione avoided his eyes, not wanting to see her death coming and very afraid of the fact that they were supposed to be enemies at the moment. Draco, however, wanted her to look up, if only just for a moment, to give her a slight feeling of reassurance that he wasn't going to kill her and instead wanted to tell her that somehow, things would end up all right.

Finally, he rose and served up some tea for them to share.

"Sugar?" he asked.

She jumped, startled by his voice.

"No, I – I'm fine without, thank you."

He nodded and placed the steaming cup in front of her. He pondered how he could offer his bed to her without making her look like a deer in the headlights, but before he could plan his words out tastefully, he said, "I know you probably don't have anywhere else to go tonight and I have an extra bed if you like. It should be safe enough for you."

She looked up slowly, and answered, "Thank you for your kindness, but I should be moving on before I'm found."

Draco, knowing full well that she wouldn't be able to get in contact with the rest of her friends out here and without a wand, said, "But how do I know you won't give away my location? I can promise I haven't given away yours. Since we're both hiding from the war, wouldn't it be safer to keep each other within our sight?"

Hermione's face read only of defeat now.

"Yes, you're right."

'Keep your friends close and you enemies closer,' she thought. 'And what friends have they been lately, leaving me trapped inside that fortress for so long. Of course, I don't have my wand either, but they still could have tried to send a Patronus by now…'

He showed her into the other room, where his bed was. He hadn't been sleeping much lately, as he had been quite worried that someone from the other side would find him. Lucky for him, only Granger had shown up so far.

She looked at him quizzically as he showed her the bedroom. "But if I take your bed," she said, quite confused, "then where will you sleep? I couldn't possibly take your bed."

"Please do. I haven't slept yet since I've been here. And besides, I can always take the couch if I get tired. I insist—take the bed."

After a few more protests, she finally agreed, stating that he could always kick her out if he wanted it later. He firmly stated that he wouldn't and left the room to sit back down in the kitchen, looking out the tiny window, as if someone would be bound to show up any minute now.

No such visitor would arrive though. The night passed by in silence, but Draco kept his vigil. He wasn't sure why he felt so uneasy tonight; perhaps only because Granger was in the next room. Still, he waited to see what might happen as the crescent moon made its way slowly across the starry sky.

About halfway through the night, it happened. Draco heard someone screaming in the next room. Knowing full well none of his wards had been tripped and the only entrance to the hut was before him, undisturbed, he was anxious to see what the matter was.

Wand drawn, Draco crept into the other room. He muttered an incoherent "Lumos!" and was ready to kill anyone in sight, but all he could see was Hermione, thrashing around on the bed. Not wanting to call attention to them and hoping no one had heard her, he silenced her screams with the flick of a wrist and then made his way over to the bed. Her arms and legs were flailing every which way, so he tried to decide how to calm her. He proceeded to sit on her legs and hold her arms down until she stopped.

Once she stopped thrashing, her eyes flew open and she tried to slip out from under him, silently screaming all the while. "Hermione, relax. You just had a night terror. Calm down. If you promise to stop yelling, I'll take the silencer off." She seemed very out of breath, but stopped fighting him and nodded. He slid off of her and took off the charm.

She was silent for a few moments, aware of what trouble she might have caused in her screaming. She hoped no one had heard her.

The night proceeded on from there, as Draco asked her what could have possibly been so terrifying that she would scream so loudly. She related back stories of what happened at the manor, unaware that Draco had already been witness to many. They vowed to each other that they would try to help her forget, so that there would be no further screaming at night.

Draco sensed after this that she was exhausted and told her to lie back down. He said that he would stay with her until she fell asleep and watch to make sure it didn't happen again. Placing his hand upon hers, she thanked him for his kindness, saying the Malfoy she once knew wouldn't have ever done this. He replied, "My name is Draco and I'd rather not be captured by the wrong people tonight." She fell asleep shortly after with a smile playing at her lips. She slept soundly until daybreak, thinking it was his touch that kept the nightmares away.

_The good old days, the honest man;  
The restless heart, the Promised Land  
A subtle kiss that no one sees;  
A broken wrist and a big trapeze_

_Oh well I don't mind, if you don't mind  
'Cause I don't shine if you don't shine  
Before you go, can you read my mind?_

_It's funny how you just break down  
Waitin' on some sign  
I pull up to the front of your driveway  
With magic soakin' my spine_

_Can you read my mind?  
Can you read my mind?_

Stepping out of the shower, Hermione felt better. She knew her body was calmer, which would help her to begin moving on again. Wrapped up in a towel, she returned to the bedroom to get changed. Draco was nowhere to be seen, almost like he had read her mind, knowing he should go cool down as well. Not being near each other could only help their argument from earlier that hung in the air like a bad insult.

She dressed in magenta robes, not very anxious to begin the day. She knew she would have to make her way into Diagon Alley sooner or later to get a new wand, as hers was long gone. She had borrowed Draco's wand often enough, but it was never the same. His wand wasn't as springy as hers had been, so she often created more trouble than she bargained for.

She heard the clang of dishes in the other room, but didn't turn around. She felt his presence before she turned to see him behind her, framing the doorway.

His eyes glared into hers and Hermione could feel the intensity of his words before he spoke them. "Can't you just go back to the way you were in school again?"

"Can't you just read my mind again?" she retorted. His eyes darted back to hers, stopping mid-huff. They lingered for a moment or two, but then he turned around again and walked away, the sound of the door closing tightly all he left behind in his wake.

She didn't know where he was headed, but she didn't care as much to follow. She had to prepare herself for going back out into the real world. She had decided that today she would get something done. She would leave this little hut out in the middle of nowhere and start her life over. Perhaps by getting out of here, she could truly start to forget, since it seemed like the memories had followed her when she ran that first night.

Draco had prepared a portkey for her in order for her to travel to Diagon Alley. There would be no other way for her to get there, since she had no wand. The pen he left her, which would be activated by her touch, sat innocently on the countertop. She was nervous, as she hadn't traveled by portkey in years, probably since the Quidditch World Cup. Grasping the pen in both hands, she felt that familiar tug behind her navel and felt herself spinning through time. She landed on her feet, luckily.

Looking around, Hermione hardly recognized the Leaky Cauldron. It seemed a little brighter than she remembered and the tone of the customers seemed much more upbeat. Posters on the walls displayed the present Ministry officials, one of which she recognized as Harry. Of course he would be Head of the Auror department after all he did in the war. Just seeing his handsome smile plastered across his face made her smile back.

Pleasant music drifted around in the background. Several families with younger children sat together at the large tables that used to seat the Weasley family. Feeling a little thirsty, she sat down and asked for a butterbeer, not knowing if they even still existed. With all these changes around her, Hermione felt out of the loop, like she had missed the Owl Post for the week.

The bartender brought her a bottle with a smile and wished her a pleasant drink. She smiled back softly and enjoyed her first piece of the past. Feeling the warm liquid run down the back of her throat made her miss Hogwarts and all of her friends, but she vowed to not let that get to her now. She was going to get a wand today and start her life over again, one step at a time. Now, if only she could remember the sequence for getting through the brick wall to Diagon Alley…

_The teenage queen, the loaded gun;  
The drop dead dream, the Chosen One  
A southern drawl, a world unseen;  
A city wall and a trampoline_

_Oh well I don't mind, if you don't mind  
'Cause I don't shine if you don't shine  
Before you jump  
Tell me what you find when you read my mind_

It wasn't long before Hermione made her way to Ollivander's shop. She had found her way easily, as if someone were magically guiding her through the maze of shoppers to be sure she did not get lost in her excitement. No one seemed to notice this newcomer to the Alley, but that did not stop Hermione from looking around, trying to find a familiar face among the people she passed by.

The sign above the door still read "Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.". Hermione shook her head, wondering if it would be the same Mr. Ollivander who had helped her many years ago, as she first prepared to go off to Hogwarts. She entered the shop slowly, like a young preteen again, staring around at the rows and rows of boxes behind the counter. She was left alone for a few moments, as her mind started to turn around the mystique of the old shop.

First to come back into her thoughts were those of Hogwarts. Just as suddenly as they appeared, however, they were gone, only to be replaced by those of masked figures, standing over her as she lay on the cold, hard ground. They forced her to get up, only to make her fall again. They spit on her, ripped off her cloak, and took her pain as pleasure. Again and again they took her as theirs, made her feel like the scum they knew her to be. They forced their way into her, through her mind and her body, hurting her in every way they knew possible. She wanted to scream for them to stop, but her mind would not allow it, knowing it would only add fuel to their fire.

She couldn't take it anymore. She screamed, louder and louder, as they pushed into her harder and harder. Her heart was racing and her breathing labored; her body didn't know what to do anymore. So her body responded as it knew best. Her last thought before she blacked out was a hope that someone might save her.

_Slippin' in my faith until I fall  
You never returned that call  
Woman, open the door, don't let it sting  
I wanna breathe that fire again_

_She said I don't mind, if you don't mind  
'Cause I don't shine if you don't shine_

He followed her as she left that morning, having a feeling that she might feel invincible, even though she was still far from it. He followed her to The Leaky Cauldron, remaining in the corner, which luckily, was still slightly dark, even amidst all the light the new owners had brought in. He watched her leave the pub and make her way into Diagon Alley, just as she had done many times before in the years of her youth. He stayed as far behind as he could, still keeping her in view, while making sure he was well hidden. He watched her enter Ollivander's shop and thought about the first time that he had entered as well.

It was not even five minutes later that screams filled the air. People seemed to come running from every direction in order to see what the matter was. He watched, frozen in his place as he tried to think of what he could do. He acted without thinking, knowing his heart would lead him right.

_Put your back on me  
Put your back on me  
Put your back on me_

"That's enough! Leave her alone! Give her some room!" Magically, Hermione felt saved—again…

'That voice, ' she thought. 'That was the voice of the one who used to save me long ago. That voice would make the attacks stop. That person would clear out the room of all the monsters and cut me down from that menacing pole. And now, he's here to save me again.'

_The stars are blazing like rebel diamonds cut out of the sun  
When you read my mind_

Angels are said to have wings and be clothed in glowing light. They usually have a sort of grandeur about them, one that makes them appear so much more heavenly than all other beings. Hermione opened her eyes to see who her angel of darkness was but was most surprised to find her angel.

All her brown eyes could find was silver.


	2. Chapter 1 The Manor

**Disclaimer: **As stated before, I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything that goes along with it. I also am not Sammy Hagar, so I do not own the lyrics to "Returning Home". Please don't sue me- I'm only a broke college student!

**Chapter 1: The Manor**

_Eighteen Months before the Raid of Malfoy Manor_

Draco returned home after receiving an owl from his father. It was a most peculiar letter, more peculiar than those he had received within the past month. It stated that he should return home at once, as his mother needed him here. While Draco still had three months left at Hogwarts, he went promptly to Snape to see what should be done.

Snape reassured Draco that if his father said he needed him home for his mother, that things must not have been good. He told him to leave Hogwarts at once, so as not to upset his father. Snape knew the consequences would be dire if Lucius was upset. Snape said he would deal with the Headmaster, letting him know of the current situation.

Draco took this in stride, telling his favorite teacher that he would send word once he knew the entire situation. He didn't like leaving his studies for even a moment, especially when those damned Gryffindors were apt to beat him in all subjects. Knowing Granger, she'd even score higher than him in Potions now too.

Draco packed his belongings, not sure of how long he would be home, and left for Hogsmeade, so he could Apparate home.

_I saw the ruins once the smoke cleared  
Once upon returning home  
A touch of sadness but no fear  
Once upon returning home_

Draco waited to open his eyes until his stomach stopped turning. He made sure his feet were firmly on the ground, and then he opened his eyes. He saw that the manor looked older, which disturbed him. He had only just left about two months ago, yet he felt like he had been here only years ago. He wasn't sure why the manor looked like it had aged so, and wasn't quite sure that he wanted to know what had caused this change either.

He stepped up to the front gate and tapped it lightly with his wand. It creaked open, biding him entry, even though it looked like it would rather he not pass through. He walked slowly up to the door, not sure what to expect.

No one was there to hold open the door for Draco as he wrestled his trunk through the entryway, but what else was new. Not seeing anyone in the general vicinity was not necessarily a bad thing, but Draco wasn't sure what to expect, which had him curious. He brought his trunk up to his room, straightened his robes, and then returned downstairs to see if he could find his parents.

He went to the lounge first and found his father sitting calmly in his armchair, sipping one of his concoctions. "Draco, I see you received my owl. We have much to discuss now that you are home." His father did not appear angry or upset, but Draco was reserved. Knowing how quickly his father could change kept him on edge.

"You said something about Mother being ill in your letter. How's she doing?" Draco knew asking about his mother would be asking for trouble, but she was the reason he had returned home. Had his father not said anything about his mother being ill, he might not have returned so quickly. Draco knew that Lucius used his mother to get to him, since Draco could care less about becoming one of Voldemort's followers. (_'They're all mindless bastards without spines of their own,_' was the thought Draco often had about the Death Eaters.)

"Your mother? She died three weeks ago!" Lucius laughed mercilessly at his son's falling expression. He knew he had him cornered now.

Draco felt like the world had fallen apart on him. How could he have not known that his own mother was dead? "What did you do to her?" Draco demanded of his father. He would surely kill him if he had done it, though Draco knew his father couldn't harm his own wife, his Narcissa. He probably had one of his cronies do it.

"The Dark Lord sacrificed her soul to strengthen his own. He needed her, so I let him take her. You should have been here; it was quite the ceremony. Anyway, the Dark Lord couldn't bear to have such a groveling woman in his new home. He needs her gone so he can concentrate on defeating Potter." Lucius seemed quite pleased with himself for giving the Dark Lord his home. He was probably looked upon as the most honorable of the Death Eaters, as none of the others could go without their wives nowadays. "The Dark Lord is planning an attack on Hogwarts next week, to help the rest of the Death Eaters collect their children for training and to capture some fresh meat to keep the men happy."

Draco grimaced at this thought internally. He hated 'training', since that meant more raids on local villages and more prisoners for the trainees to keep busy. He had to act as though it didn't bother him, but inside, he couldn't stand it all. Sure, these people were beneath him, but if you were getting their blood on you, how could you call yourself clean and pure?

Lucius, sensing his son's hesitation, told him, "You will do everything the Dark Lord tells you to. Otherwise, I'll make sure you end up with your mother. Don't disobey me, you retched excuse of a son."

Draco nodded and his father dismissed him with a wave of the hand. "Be down here by 7am tomorrow morning to get your assignment for the raid. Don't be late."

_I don't know what I cried about but  
Reality removed all doubt  
I felt warm but all alone  
Once upon returning home_

Draco returned to his room to prepare for the morning. He didn't owl Snape, figuring he already knew of the Dark Lord's plans. He felt conflicted, as Hogwarts was his home, but he knew that if he let his feelings get the better of him that he would regret it in the morning. Rather, he instead lingered on the Gryffindors and their ridiculous sense of courage. Oh, how they angered him. _'Yes,' _he thought, _'I can survive tomorrow. Then I'll just have to get through the next day and possibly the next. And one of these days, I'll escape.'_

Draco slept restlessly that night, waking much earlier than he hoped he would. He walked through the manor soundlessly, looking for remnants of his mother, but he found none. Reserved, he returned to his room to change into his long dark robes and the infamous mask that would hide his identity, making it possible for him to get through the day. He figured that as long as he was hidden behind the mask, he would be ok.

He found out at the meeting that morning that the plan was to attack on all sides. He was to return to Hogwarts through the main gates, which would be opened by Snape and the Death Eaters would start to slip inside the castle. From there, they would attack the Great Hall and the towers, crumbling them like an old cottage, falling in on itself. They would take down whoever they could, either by force as captives, or by death. They preferred the first option, as they would then have more ammo for later attacks, more dummies to practice on, more prisoners to have their fun with, but they were not to let anyone get away. The Dark Lord would not make an appearance until later in the day, if warranted. He did not want to lose any of his strength, unless Potter appeared weak and easy to take down.

Draco returned to Hogsmeade, followed by many of his father's so-called friends. He walked to the castle and met Snape at the gates. Snape did not have to ask the question that hung in the air above them- he already knew that Narcissa had been killed by the way that Draco walked toward him. He knew that Draco was fighting himself over this attack, as he had confided in his teacher before that Hogwarts seemed like his only home. Snape knew that he would feel even stronger about this, knowing his mother was gone. He only hoped he could help his godson the best he knew how now.

And so the battle began. The Death Eaters had the initial advantage of surprise, but many of the students stood up and fought as they knew how. Draco knew that staying in the Great Hall would be dangerous, but he felt that it was there that he had his best advantage. He also knew that despite whatever they did today, Hogwarts would rise and rebuild itself. He felt bad, but let the feeling pass over him, knowing all would be well shortly after the final Death Eater left the grounds.

After a few hours, he and several of the Death Eaters had gathered a good number of prisoners. His father told him to take the portkey that he had made to take the prisoners back to the manor and to lock them up downstairs. He said that he was proud of his son and all that he had done today, which pleased Draco. If his father was happy, then his life would be easier. So Draco did as he was told and took the prisoners home, locking them into cells in the cellar. He told the house elves to give them some bread and water and leave them until this father and the rest of the crew returned home. Then Draco sat down in the lounge, poured himself a stiff drink, and waited for the others to return.

_Returning home  
Once this place was paradise  
Green and blue colors of the sea  
It's still alive so it shall return  
Eventually, oh, oh, oh_

Draco learned later that night, as everyone returned to the manor, that Hogwarts had made a valiant effort. Many of the Order and the Aurors had been called in to help and they were able to capture some of the Death Eaters. Losses were taken on both sides, but the Death Eaters thought they had the advantage. They had been able to take many prisoners, which pleased the men. They didn't waste any time showing the prisoners their place, tying them to poles and letting the men do what they wished to the helpless victims.

Draco also learned, as the screaming began in his basement, that his father had been one of the few Death Eaters that had been killed in the fight. It was Parkinson, Pansy's father, who had taken Draco aside to break the news to him. He also told him that the Dark Lord would now be looking towards Draco to take over reign of the Death Eaters. Draco nodded, taking all of this in. He knew that this would mean trouble for him at some point, but for now, he only had to play the role of the obliging host and keep the manor clean after everyone had had their fun. Draco reigned in this fact, and played his role well.

_The sacred builders, the chosen ones  
Have learned to live and let live  
Once you take what's there to share  
You've got to give, you got to give  
Oh, don't let the changes get you down  
You'll see the this world turned upside down_

The Dark Lord treated Draco well and went easy on him at first. He told him that it was now his place to order the Death Eaters around. The Dark Lord had much faith in Draco from what he had seen previously and he placed much trust in him. He allowed him to make decisions on which villages to attack. He put him in charge of the prisoners and left him to sorting out which prisoners to use for which training sessions for the newer recruits. All in all, Draco was pleased with the amount of trust placed in him and he did well to keep the trust of his Lord.

Draco also knew by keeping the men happy, they would be more willing to do as he wished. Draco knew how to keep the men happy. He gave them what they wanted- access to young, supple prisoners to do as they wished. He would often stand in the shadows of the cellar rooms, watching the men violate these girls horridly. He hated watching, but knew that if he wasn't there to watch, then things would get out of control. The Death Eaters had been so cruel to a handful of the girls he had presented them with that they had died from their torture. After the second death, he knew he would have to stand over the men to stop them from going too far. He let them have their fun, ganging up on the girls, making them scream for hours on end, but he was the one calling the shots. He was the one to stop them after a few hours, just before things got too rough.

When the stopped, they'd file out of the room, pleased and pleasantly satisfied, ready to sleep off a few more hours. That's when he'd cut the girls down from the pole, untie the rope from their wrists, carry them back into their cells, and leave them to gain consciousness once more.

Many of the girls were those that he knew from Hogwarts, but several were from the recent village attacks. Among them remained Parvati Patil, who had been Harry's date for the Yule Ball. Her sister, Padma, however, had been one of the first casualties, from back before the men had been supervised. Luna Lovegood was here too, and much quieter now than she had ever been at school. Granger was also one of the prisoners taken from Hogwarts in the beginning and the men liked her fight. She held on for as long as she could, but these days, she wasn't lasting as long lately, before letting the pain get the best of her. Still, the men seemed to like her the best.

Draco had gone out on a few of the scavenges the Dark Lord planned, but not many, as he claimed he did not want the blood of the muggles and mudbloods dirtying his hand. The Dark Lord agreed with his thought and never pushed him.

Draco did go out on one of the scavenges though, and found a small hut set off from the rest of the village they were attacking. The small hut appeared to be empty, but well furnished. He set up a portkey for himself, just in case the time should come that he would need to escape the manor. He could stay here, as the Death Eaters never returned to a village they had been through, figuring no one could survive in the filth they left behind.

As the days passed, the Dark Lord became stronger and stronger, and Draco became more powerful within his circle of followers. He began to trust himself more and let himself believe in what he was now neck deep in. There was no turning back now… or was there?

_If you listen, you'll hear the word  
When it comes around, when it comes around  
Yeah_

The Ministry was raiding every home ever linked to suspected dark magic, in hopes of finding something, or someone, to lead them to the capture of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Harry had been named the Head of the Aurors and was working diligently to find something to lead him to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. It still worried him that several of the girls who had gone to Hogwarts with him last year had not yet been found and he vowed to do everything in his power to find them. He was especially determined to find Hermione, who had been like a sister to him, and Ron was constantly after him, asking if he had found anything out yet. He knew how much Ron missed Hermione, but he hoped that no news meant good news, if the good news was that she was still alive.

The news of the raids was also plastered across every newspaper in Europe, so Harry figured that he'd have a hard time finding the main headquarters of his enemy. Some days, it felt like he had already searched every home in England at least thrice. His teams were going out to numerous locations every day, and not many had found anything of importance yet.

That was, until Day 233 came around. Harry had been keeping track of the days he had been an Auror, and he had only taken over the office on Day 101. Many thought him too young for the position, but with as much talent as he had, they could not deny that he had proven himself.

On this particular day, as Harry was packing up the office, ready to head home for the evening, he received a Patronus from one of his teams, requesting backup for a raid at Malfoy Manor. His teams had been here twice already this month, but nothing had ever been found out of the ordinary. Harry always honored his teams' requests for backup, trusting each of his Aurors, and even he felt apprehensive this evening. He headed out to the Manor himself, ready for anything.

Surely, Harry could never have readied himself for what he found here. The Manor was complete chaos, and he had barely just reached the front gate. He called in the rest of his team to help and sent word to the Order as well. He thought that this could be the battle to end all battles with the amount of magic flying through the air. He met with his team leaders and organized his teams to fight, as well as to search the Manor for any prisoners. He joined the search team, hoping for the best.

_I saw the ruins once the smoke cleared  
Once upon returning home  
A touch of sadness but no fear  
Once upon returning home  
Yeah-I don't know what I cried about but  
Reality removed all doubt  
I felt warm but all alone  
Once upon returning home  
Oh-_

Draco knew there would be another raid this month, but he had not been sure when. His contacts within the Ministry had failed him, and now, the Dark Lord was not going to be happy. He had not even been able to answer the door quickly enough. The Ministry officials burst into the front entryway, and they looked ready to fight. Draco slipped around the corner just as quickly as the door had come down and he raced down the hall into the lounge. He rallied his troops to fight. The Ministry officials had shown him no decency, so he decided he would show them no decency either.

More Death Eaters were called in to help fight, and soon, the fight became a full-fledged war, right here, in Draco's own home. While Draco knew he had to fight as well, he kept his portkey close by, wrapped in cloth, and in his back pocket. He thought that he might need it if things got too rough.

_Look around, there's work to do  
A new life for the chosen few_

After many long hours of fighting and much death and destruction, Draco felt the Manor's wards failing. The failure of the wards could only come from one thing- he feared they had already lost. Without further hesitation, he darted around a corner to the obsolete hallway and pulled the cloth out of his back pocket. He didn't wait for the screams around him to subside, but rather dropped the cloth quickly and gripped the quill tightly, bidding it to whisk him away quicker. The, he felt the pull at his navel and he dropped his fears with a heavy sigh. He would now have to prepare himself for the aftermath of the storm.

Meanwhile, Harry had made it only about two levels below ground before hitting another large group of Death Eaters. He and his Aurors spent hours fighting them off, blow for blow. Shortly after they finished off the last of Death Eaters in that pack, having lost several of their own men, they came upon the Dark Lord's quarters. While they did not know where they were, they did realize the severity of the fight they would now have to get through. Harry fought bravely through the end, and it almost cost him his life. By the time Harry had finished off the Dark Lord, he was hanging onto his life by only a handful of strings.

His men finally made it down into the deep depths of the Manor's cellar once the Dark Lord had been defeated, as the wards had now been broken. The prisoners spilled out from their cells in every which way, tumbling out into the breaking day light.

Hermione had been waiting for this moment since she arrived at the Manor. She ran towards the woods behind the Manor, past all the fallen fighters, both her captors, and her saviors. She ran until she could not run any further. So she stopped, caught her breath, cleared her mind, and began t run again.

She tried to keep a positive outlook, hoping she would run into a muggle village, so she could truly take the time to catch her breath and get some food into her system. She had no wand and was very worried about potential troubles on the path ahead. She thought that if she kept those troubles out of mind, then surely they couldn't sneak up on her.

Hermione was able to find solace in a small village that appeared ransacked, probably by the Death Eaters quite some time ago. She darted from house to house, on the search for food, but keeping an eye out for any enemies as well. Hermione did not remain in the small village for long though, and she returned to her path, running only slightly slower than before. She was not sure who, if anyone, might be following her, so she didn't want to give them any kind of advantage. She started running again, determined to find a safe place for herself soon.

_The world sings in the same key, sweet harmony  
Just when you thought you had it made  
With fool's gold the road was paved  
And circles get so big and wide  
You can't see to the other side, other side  
Oh, the long journey wore me down  
To see this world turned upside down  
There'll be some time before things  
-Settle down-_


End file.
